{"version":1,"generatedAt":"2026-10-28T10:38:56.207Z","kind":"greatest-elongation","name":"Mercury at greatest eastern elongation, 4 Jul 2025","at":"2025-07-04T04:40:00.000Z","planets":[{"name":"Mercury","magnitude":0.51}],"place":{"ra":8.698,"dec":18.24,"frame":"J2000","raUnit":"hours","decUnit":"degrees"},"degreesFromSun":25.9,"sky":"evening","elongationDeg":25.9,"litFraction":0.41,"visibility":{"longitude":0,"timeZone":"UTC","twilightSunAltitude":-6,"bands":[{"latitude":60,"verdict":"lost","summary":"It is below the horizon whenever the sky is dark","best":{"at":"2025-07-03T23:00:00.000Z","altitude":-4.2,"azimuth":319,"sunAltitude":-6.1}},{"latitude":45,"verdict":"low","summary":"Low: 7° up in the WNW at 20:30; a clear, flat horizon needed","best":{"at":"2025-07-03T20:30:00.000Z","altitude":6.7,"azimuth":289,"sunAltitude":-6.4}},{"latitude":30,"verdict":"clear","summary":"12° up in the WNW at 19:40","best":{"at":"2025-07-03T19:40:00.000Z","altitude":11.9,"azimuth":284,"sunAltitude":-7.4}},{"latitude":15,"verdict":"clear","summary":"17° up in the WNW at 19:00","best":{"at":"2025-07-03T19:00:00.000Z","altitude":17.1,"azimuth":285,"sunAltitude":-6.5}},{"latitude":0,"verdict":"clear","summary":"17° up in the WNW at 18:40","best":{"at":"2025-07-03T18:40:00.000Z","altitude":17.4,"azimuth":289,"sunAltitude":-8.2}},{"latitude":-15,"verdict":"clear","summary":"19° up in the WNW at 18:10","best":{"at":"2025-07-03T18:10:00.000Z","altitude":18.6,"azimuth":296,"sunAltitude":-7}},{"latitude":-30,"verdict":"clear","summary":"17° up in the NW at 17:40","best":{"at":"2025-07-03T17:40:00.000Z","altitude":17.2,"azimuth":304,"sunAltitude":-6.3}},{"latitude":-45,"verdict":"clear","summary":"13° up in the NW at 17:10","best":{"at":"2025-07-03T17:10:00.000Z","altitude":12.5,"azimuth":313,"sunAltitude":-7}}]},"links":{"page":"https://www.whatthestar.com/planets/mercury-greatest-elongation-2025-07-04","map":"https://www.whatthestar.com/explore?ra=8.698&dec=18.24&fov=40&t=2025-07-04T04%3A40%3A00.000Z"},"sources":[{"name":"P. Bretagnon and G. Francou, VSOP87, the planetary theory the map draws, held to JPL’s DE441 within about an arcsecond over 1900–2100","url":"https://www.whatthestar.com/credits#method-planets"},{"name":"U.S. Naval Observatory and Sea and Sky’s Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events: the dates and angles the tests hold these to","url":"https://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/"},{"name":"A. Mallama and J. Hilton (2018) and the Astronomical Almanac’s phase-angle series: the planets’ magnitudes","url":"https://www.whatthestar.com/credits#method-planets"},{"name":"J. Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, ch. 25: the Sun, for the twilight each latitude is judged in","url":"https://www.whatthestar.com/credits#method-sun"}]}